The Choices you Make
by eireschilde77
Summary: A Supernatural/Smallville crossover. The last seal is about to be breached. Dean, Sam and the gang head to Smallville where one man will be faced with a choice between love and fate, that could change the world forever.
1. Chapter 1

"They've found the last seal."

Dean played the words around in his head, as he downed his third shot of whiskey.

He felt the liquid burning his throat as it went down, and he welcomed both the heat and the numbness. They came as a blessed relief from the events of tonight. He set the empty glass down on the table, the sharp sound of the glass tapping against the table disrupted the utter stone quiet in the room, and it rang like finality in his ears.

During the last few months they had been involved some epic battles as they struggled to keep the forces of hell at bay. But for each seal they had saved, they had lost three more, the futility wearing them down slowly but surely every victory dampened by a greater defeat.

Dean wiped the whiskey from his mouth and was surprised to taste the sharp metallic taste of blood. He looked down and saw the ragged wounds across his knuckles, an echo of the scars spread across his entire body. Hell may have wiped him clean of his scars, but in the past few months they had returned them, with interest. Not that any of the others had fared any better. Each battle had left them all wounded, bleeding and a bit more broken than they had been before.

The war had become relentless, the losses on both sides piling up. Out of necessity, the three hunters, two angels and the female demon had managed to form an unholy alliance, fighting side by side to stop Lilith's forces from carrying out their end game.

They were sixty-five seals down now. The situation had gotten bleaker by the day and now they literally couldn't afford one more loss. This seal was their last chance, if this one went, the world went with it.

Dean poured his next shot, as he downed it, the peaty, almost sulphuric smell burned his nose and throat. It coursed through his body and hit his belly sharply, making him feel slightly nauseous. He thought back to everyone else's reaction to the news that the angels had brought them tonight.

Sam had closed in on himself, the worry and concern for Dean, Bobby and Ruby clear on his face. Ruby had, almost unconsciously moved closer to Sam, as if he could help take away the fear and doubt, give her the answers she needed, console her she had made the right choice, picked the right side. Bobby had sighed, he was the most experienced of them all, and he knew they had taken too many beatings in too short of a time, everyone was on their last legs and breath at present and they needed to rest, not to jump back into the fray, but ever the hunter he had hidden this behind a weary sigh and tired eyes.

Uriel had reacted to their dismay with his usual scorn and anger, his views on them, the ones chosen to save this blasted ball of humanity was never flattering, and he had betrayed his own fear and worry by being even more scathing than usual.

Of all of them, only Castiel had remained calm and focused. He had remained quiet and allowed the others to take in the levity of his words. They were so close to the end now, the fires of hell were staring at them in the face, this last seal was everything, and Lilith had found it first. Dean had wondered if Cas was as calm as he appeared, or if he was just smart enough to realise that if he panicked, then they would all truly know the end was nigh.

After all, Castiel never panicked. In the face of terror, pain or unimaginable horror, he remained calm, strong and ever faithful. Over the last few months, Dean had managed to build an almost workable relationship with Ruby and Uriel , they were a long way off from liking each other but they had each others' back in a fight. But his relationship with Castiel was different. He had become Dean's constant; the one who ensured his safety, listened to his drunken ramblings, comforted him over the deaths that they had been unable to stop. However, he was still no closer to understanding the stoic angel, and Cas could still frustrate the hell out of him, with his calm acceptance, inquiring looks and blind faith.

Especially now that Castiels faith was no longer contained to just his father. He now had faith in Dean as well; unwavering faith that Dean could, and would stop Lilith and the others from bringing about hell on earth. Faith that Dean would do the right thing, make the right choices. His belief in Dean had become the standard to which Dean now measured his own actions. He considered his choices now, found himself wondering, more than once what Cas would expect him to do in a situation.

During the angel's frequent absences, Dean found himself missing him more than he would admit to himself, and even Sam had commented that Dean's drinking was worse when the angels weren't around.

Dean had gotten out of that by joking that it was just because their holier than thou asses weren't breathing down their necks. But truth be told, Cas had become something of a necessity to him and his absences left a hole that Dean was unable to deal with.

Although, sometimes Dean did find this faith, this belief, that the angel had placed on him, almost like a weight around his neck, it was better than the lack of direction he felt when he didn't have the angel's steady blue gaze on him; trusting that he would lead them right.

"They're back" Sam announced in a dry, brittle voice.

Dean didn't need any further clarification on who 'they' were, Sam's tone said it all.

In the beginning Sam had tried hard with the angels, but Castiel's distance and Uriel's personality hadn't made it easy. Add in Uriel's attitude to Ruby and the bond forming between Cas and Dean and the rocky road had slowly iced over.

Now the angels and his brother tolerated each other at best. Dean knew that the gulf between him and Sam was also getting wider, but he was lost for ideas on how to make it better. More and more now, Dean found himself with Cas, whilst Sam disappeared more frequently with Ruby now, even when the angels weren't around.

Dean sighed and headed back into the, small dingy second bedroom. Bobby was sitting on the bed, cleaning his gun, acting like the world was still normal and he was just there with Dean and Sam, planning their next hunt. Completely ignoring the presence of the blue eyed bipolar angel, the snarky smite happy former wrestler in angels clothing, and the female demon in the room with them.

Sam as usual stood next to Ruby, shielding her slightly from everyone else in the room, as if someone was going to rip her away from him if he didn't keep her close enough.

Uriel stood close to the door, ramrod straight, looking like he wanted to be anywhere else, and Cas, as usual Cas was looking at Dean as if there was no-one else in the room.

"So, did you find out anything?" Dean asked the angels, trying to break the uneasy silence in the room.

"Do we still have time to stop them from opening it?" Sam asked.

Castiel, briefly broke his gaze away from Dean and glanced at Sam.

"Yes" he replied, "We have located the seal, we know Lilith has already sent two of her best there already, but we still have time to stop it."

"So what's the deal this time? Are they raising another demon, unleashing some more pissed off spirits, or are they just going to force everyone to eat tofu?" Dean asked. "What unholy hell do they have planned to break open this baby?"

"None of the above," Castiel replied returning his steady gaze to Dean "This seal is a person."

"A person?" Sam asked, looking confused "What do you mean a person? What type of person can be a seal?"

"An important one," Castiel replied, ignoring Uriels disgusted snort. "One who is going to have to make a decision in the next few days. That decision is going to change the world and will determine whether the seal is broken."

"So where is he? Where are we going?" Dean asked, sliding his handgun into his waistband and lifting his duffel.

Castiel smiled slightly at the hunters eagerness to get going.

"Smallville" Castiel replied. "Smallville, Kansas."

tbc


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you _really_ going to eat that?"

Dean looked up and saw Sam surveying his pie with a disgusted look on his face.

"What?" Dean asked, "It's pie, what's the problem?"

"I know it's pie, Dean," Sam replied. "The problem is that it is your fourth slice of pie in, oh, around 30 minutes. You keep it up and it's going to be regurgitated pie."

Dean snorted, "Yeah, right!"

"Like I'd waste pie," he muttered and went back to attacking his pie with gusto.

Sam shook his head in disgust and went back to clicking on his computer aimlessly.

Dean noticed the disgruntled look on his brothers' face, a sure sign that his research was not going well.

"I take it you've got nothing on Luthor or Kent?" he asked, craning his neck to get a look at the screen.

"Nope, well, at least nothing that screams out 'evil demon seal here for the taking', anyway. If you go back a few years, then there is plenty on Luther, he was demon seal personified: bribery, corruption, land pollution; this guy and his family were into everything. But since he moved to Smallville, he has become a regular pillar of the community, not so much as a parking ticket, and as for Kent, remember more vanilla than vanilla guy?"

Dean nodded, and Sam went on, "Well, Clark Kent makes him look like a deviant; completely wholesome 100% home grown farm boy." Sam shook his head and pushed his laptop away in disgust.

"Are you sure your guys even have the right people?" Sam asked with barely disguised scepticism.

"We're not _his _guys," an angry voice interrupted the brother's conversation.

Dean looked up and was startled to find Castiel less than two feet from him; the huffing, angry bulldog a couple of feet behind him.

It never ceased to amaze Dean how silently the angels appeared, or disappeared, for that matter, or that no-one around them ever seemed to notice.

He felt a rush of pleasure at seeing Cas; the two angels had disappeared on their first day in Smallville and hadn't been seen for the last two days. They had been unsure if the angels were away digging up information, or if they had been dragged into one of the never ceasing battles that raged in the background of the world at present. Every time the angels left Dean wasn't sure if they were coming back. They had witnessed first hand, that angels, though stronger, were ultimately just as vulnerable as man. He would never forget the first time he saw an angel die.

So, it was a relief to have him **them **back, he reminded himself.

He was distracted from his thoughts by the increasingly heated exchange between Uriel and Sammy.

"Hey! Cool it!" Dean interjected, "Can you guys save the bitching for another time, like oh, I don't know, how about when there isn't an impending apocalypse? What are you both yapping about anyway?"

Castiels steady gaze drifted from the arguing pair to Dean; he raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Uriel seems to have taken offence at your brothers insinuation, that we are, 'your men'. During the ensuing exchange he made a rather crude aside regarding your brothers paramour, to which I think your brother retorted with a confusing remark about 'Ken dolls' and you interrupted just as Uriel was threatening to send both you, and your brother, into the fiery pits of perdition for your lack of respect, temperance and intelligence."

Dean looked at Castiel as he finished speaking, and he could swear that he looked almost amused. There was also something indefinable in his eyes as he looked at Dean, a warmth that seemed to say he was glad to be here.

Dean shook his head, trying to clear away the cobwebs that seemed to be gathering. He took a step back and moved next to Sam, placing a gentle hand on his brothers' tense shoulder, and guided him back into his seat.

Once he removed himself from Castiel's immediate vicinity, Dean felt his head start to clear a little. Sometimes he could swear that the angel did a mind whammy on him when he wasn't paying attention; there were times when Dean just seemed to completely lose his train of thought around the angel, and ended up distracted and confuse.

Dean felt the anger radiating from Sammy in waves, his breathing was heavy and shallow, but as Dean kept a steady hand on his shoulder, he could feel the tension start to dissipate, his breathing slowly return to normal. The glare he trained on the angels, however, was still full of virulent animosity.

"Ok," Dean said as he sat down. "Can we get back to business? Did you guys manage to find out any more info on our two friends here?" he tapped the file as Cas sat down. Uriel looked down at his brother with an expression close to outraged betrayal before sighing heavily, and taking the seat next to him.

"We were under the impression that grunt work was your job," Uriel said snidely to Dean "We were a little busy, battling the forces of hell to try and save this putrid planet for you mud monkeys"

Dean saw Sam's back straighten and intervened before they were drawn off course again.

"So in other words, you guys know as little as we do? Great, well we're going to have to look a bit deeper here. Do you guys have _anything _on either of them?"

Castiel forestalled Uriels upcoming snarky comment with a look. A hint of rebellion briefly sparked in Uriel's eyes, but he deferred to his brother in arms with a sigh.

"We know that the seal they are after is called the 'defiling of the innocent', and it requires turning someone who is destined to be a force for great good, into an instrument of evil." Castiel paused, after a brief glance at Uriel he continued.

"We also know that Clark Kent is special, different." Castiel raised his hand to forestall Sam's interruption, "It is not the type of different you would be likely to find on your electronic machine Samuel; he has kept his differences, his uniqueness, well hidden. Only a very select few know that he is not exactly as he appears, and those who do, guard his secrets carefully."

Sam snorted, "So how come you guys know all his little secrets, if they are so well hidden? Are you keeping a crystal ball that we don't know about? Or did you just find him and threaten the people he loves if he didn't answer your questions?"

Uriel interrupted angrily, "You foul, ignorant, half breed! You and your brother are undeserving of our help, or our explanations, you filthy bunch of…."

"How about you back off chuckles?" Dean interrupted, standing up and placing himself slightly in front of Sam. "We get the picture, okay? We're sons of Satan blah, blah but Sam has a point, how do you know that Kent's different? Where did the information come from?"

"We don't have to explain our information or sources to you, mud monkey. You will take what we have given you and be grateful for the help." Uriel intoned darkly.

"Uh huh, yeah," Dean tossed back sarcastically before turning to Castiel.

"Cas?"

Cas glanced at Uriel briefly before returning his gaze to Dean. Dean noticed that he avoided making any type of eye contact with Sam.

"We've been watching him over the last few days, and we have spoken to the choir. His soul is different from normal humans; it's song is different, stronger than most. He has the capacity for greatness, to bring forth true selfless good, as long as he chooses the right path."

"His song?" Dean asked, confusion and scepticism marring his face. "Did you just say his 'soul' song?"

Castiel smiled at the disbelief in the hunter's voice.

"Yes, Dean," he replied patiently. "As heavenly beings we can see and hear elements of your being that you are unaware of. Every human being has a soul, and each soul has it's own unique marker sound, it's 'song' if you will. A person's song can tell you much about who that person is, what they will do, and who they will be"

"What's mine?" Dean joked, "I'm on the highway to hell?"

Uriel grunted his displeasure at Dean's flippancy, but Castiel merely smiled.

"I can see that I am not explaining myself clearly. Although I use the word song, it is not a song as you would know it to be. A person's song is at the core of their humanity; it's like an ancient language, telling the story of its bearer. Their song can be strong or soothing, they can be bright shining symphonies, or small, quiet, dark noises.

Castiel smiled slightly. "But we are veering off course now, let us just state, that we have seen what they hope to corrupt in Clark Kent; now all we have to do is figure out how they plan to do it"

"What about the boyfriend?" Sam interrupted. "Before taking up with Clark, he was hardly a bringer of joy and light to the world, maybe the whole thing is a set up to open the seal.

Castiel hesitated, a frown crinkling his brow. "Perhaps," he conceded. "But I think there is something different at play here. Before we can decide anything more, we have to find a way to gain access to Mr. Luthor, find out what we can about him, and what, if any, his role is in all of this"

"Plus," Dean added, "Get close to him, we get closer to Kent, which means we can be on the lookout at the same time. All we have to do now is decide, how we're going to get access to them.

Dean stopped as he saw Cas's eyes drift sideways, acknowledging the presence of the waitress who had come up to the side of the table. She was a pretty blonde girl, with bright eyes and a gorgeous smile. Dean was actually surprised that he hadn't noticed her earlier, but then again, there had been pie.

"Can I get you gentlemen anything? More pie, maybe?"

Dean looked down sadly at his half eaten pie, it was cold now *stupid distracting angels and their apocalypse*. Dean may not have many standards but this was pie. As he opened his mouth to order another slice, Sam cut in.

"No thanks," he said, smiling politely, "Just the bill would be great."

"Coming right up," the waitress smiled and left.

Dean opened his mouth to confront Sam about the wanton blatant removal of the pie option, but was cut off at the pass.

"You've had four slices Dean," Sam looked almost sorry, but remained firm. "Learn when to quit already."

Dean heard Uriel murmer something under his breath about gluttony.

He turned to the annoying angel, glad to have an unfriendly face to take out the frustration out on.

"Oh, smite me, baldy."

Uriel, made a sound of outrage, when Cas decided to calm the situation.

"They are right," Castiel said, "Too much, and you'll make yourself ill."

Dean sighed, three to one, it just wasn't fair. He turned to Sam to thank him for ruining his pie moment, but as Dean turned to his brother, he paused; Sam was glaring at Cas, with anger and something else shining from his eyes.

Just before he could ask Sam what he imagined his angel had gone and done now, the waitress came back to the table.

"You can get some pie to go." Sam's words were to Dean, but his challenging gaze rested on Castiel.

"Huh?" Dean stared at his brother, dumbfounded. Had the pressure finally cracked him?

"Actually, never mind about the pie" Dean realised his stomach was starting to groan under the pressure of what he had eaten before. He should have listened to Sam earlier.

"No," Sam said, his gaze still not wavering from Castiel. "You're having some pie, in fact, can we have three slices to go please?"

The waitress looked back and forth at each of the diners, her pen poised, unsure about whether she should be writing an order or not.

"Sam, it's fine," Dean insisted. "Really, I'm not hungry anymore"

Dean glanced over at Cas to see if had any explanation for his brothers sudden pie crazieness.

But for once, Castiel's gaze wasn't on Dean. He was staring steadily at Sam, something that almost looked like a challenge was gleaming in his eyes.

Uriel watched the proceedings with a mixture of amusement and disgust.

"So, do you want some pie or don't you?" the waitress asked, waiting for some confirmation.

Castiel sighed. "Yes, please," he replied, "Three slices to go."

Dean looked from Cas to Sam, what the hell was going on with these two? But it didn't seem worth an actual argument, plus, he was sure he would find some room later.

"Fine, three slices of pie."

The waitress turned quickly to leave, before anyone could change their mind again.

Dean turned to Sam, ready to tell him that he wasn't getting any of the pie, only to find his brothers angry gaze now on him.

"Know what Dean?" Sam raged, slamming the lid of the laptop down. "You can have your damn pie!, Hope you and Cas enjoy it"

Sam, stormed out of the restaurant, still shoving his computer into his duffel as he went.

"What the....." Dean turned to Castiel and Uriel to see if they had any idea about what had just happened.

For once, Uriel wasn't ready with snark or snipe. Instead, he was staring at Castiel with a look of sorrow on his face.

"This is a dangerous game you are playing brother," he said, almost gently.

Castiel shook his head. "It stopped being a game a long time ago brother, if it ever was."

Dean wondered if it was a by product of Smallville that had everyone speaking in tongues today. Maybe it was something in the water. Or the pie?

Before he could say anything about his pet theory, Uriel gave him one of his patented 'die, mud monkey, die' looks and stormed out.

"Here you go guys, three slices of apple pie; wrapped and ready to go." The waitress appeared back at their table, looking relieved to finally be rid of the crazies at last.

Dean looked over at Cas; something in his stance made him realize that now wasn't the time to push for answers over what the hell had just happened.

Dean turned to the waitress and went into full charm mode, turning his mega watt smile in the direction of the girl.

"Thank you so much...?"

"Chloe," the girl stuttered, blinking rapidly a slight blush rising on her face, she shook her head slightly as if dazed and took a quick step back.

"So are you guys just passing through or do you have friends here in Smallville? I've lived here for years," she confided. "There are few people in town I don't know."

"Really?" Dean asked. He was about to go into dig mode when he saw the small shake of Castiel's head.

"Well then, we know where to come if we need a tour guide. It's been a pleasure meeting you Chloe," Dean said, flirting a little. "Hopefully we'll bump into each other again." He winked at her as he headed to the door after Cas. Dean saw Cas's small smile, and could swear he saw an eye roll at the wink, but he was happy enough that the earlier strange atmosphere had gone, and he decided to let it pass.

Chloe watched the two men head towards the door of the Talon, she took out her cell and pressed her speed dial. The phone had barely rang once when a warm voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Clark?" The fake smiled that Chloe had plastered on her face faded as she watched the two men finally exit the diner.

"I think we have a problem."

Clark paced up and down the floor, his mind still whirring with a million and one possibilities running through it at the one time.

Lex looked up from his space in the bed and gave a weary sounding sigh.

"You do realize that you are going to wear away our carpet, right?"

Clark whirled round, agitation and fear screaming from the tone of his voice.

"How can you be so calm Lex? Four strangers waltz into town and start digging into our lives, discussing our secrets, and you lie in bed, reading a book, and acting like nothing is wrong." Clark knew that his voice was probably rising to an octave where only dogs would be able to hear him soon.

"Six." Lex stated.

"What?" Clark asked, confused. "Six what?"

"There are six of them." he replied. "They arrived in town two days ago and are staying at the Breany Boarding house, five men and one woman.

"How do you know all this?" Clark asked. He finally stopped pacing, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Simple," Lex replied. "I had them checked out, straight after Chloe's bizarre call this afternoon."

"It wasn't bizarre," Clark said, defending his friend.

Lex raised his eyebrows

"Really?" he asked "As I remember, the conversation revolved around a soul band, with three 'really hot guys and a bald dude'."

"Soul music," Clark corrected. "They were talking about the music a soul makes , and that mine is _different_ from other humans." Clark trailed off.

Lex finally understood what had been bothering him this evening.

Lex lifted Clark's hands to his lips and slowly kissed his fingertips.

"Your soul is perfect Clark, as is your heart and your spirit, these people don't know you, so don't let them upset you."

Clark smiled over at the man, who in the last few years, had become as necessary to him as breathing.

He found his agitation slowly settling, with each tender caress of Lex's lips on his fingers.

But the unease in his stomach was refusing to settle completely.

"What do they want Lex? Things are just starting to settle down here. Why are these people here? What do they know?"

"Sssshh…" Lex whispered. "I don't know Clark, but I promise you that we'll find out. Whatever they want, whatever they're after, we'll find out, and we'll deal with it; the same way we always do, together."

Clark smiled; a real smile this time, warm and rich, lighting up his eyes and face.

Lex felt his heart skip a beat. This man had been part of Lex's life for eight years now; five as his best friend, three as his lover, and it never ceased to amaze him that Clark had chosen him. That this shining supernova, with the warm green eyes and gentle heart, loved him: Lex Luthor.

He may appear to be calm about what had happened today, for Clark's benefit, but his mind hadn't stopped racing since Chloe called earlier today. Clark was his life now, his family and friends were Lex's family and friends and the thought of his life without Clark Kent in it was unthinkable.

He had tried to put his past behind him; for Clark he had tried to be a better person, make better choices, be the type of person that deserved to be loved by someone like Clark Kent. But if these people posed a threat to Clark, to his family or their life together, then those rules went out the window.

Lex Luthor, lived life with passion; he loved fiercely, but his hatred could burn just as bright. No one was hurting Clark, not on his watch; he'd find out who these people were, and if there was a problem then he would deal with it, personally.

Lex smiled at Clark, "Come to bed," he whispered. Clark smiled and sank onto the bed sheets, there would be enough time to worry about these strangers in the morning.

The first thing that Dean saw when they entered the guest house was Bobby, sitting and reading through some notes. No sign of Uriel or Ruby, which was a plus, but also, no sign of Sam.

"You seen Sammy?" Dean asked Bobby, trying to pretend that he wasn't interested in the answer.

"Yep, he and Ruby disappeared about an hour ago, didn't say when he'd be back."

"Great, just great." Dean headed towards the bedroom, it was past 3pm and a bottle of whiskey was about the only thing that was going to make him feel better right now; he was too concerned about where Sam was to even notice the angel staring after him in concern.

Four hours and more than a few whiskeys later, Dean could almost convince himself that he didn't care where Sammy was right now, but that hadn't stopped him from leaving him several messages; each one getting more belligerent as the whiskey flowed.

He felt, rather than heard Cas come into the room.

"I'm drunk, I'm tired, and I'm not in the mood for a lecture Cas."

"Good," the angel said. "I'm not in the mood to give one."

"So you what, just felt like some company and realized that the only one willing to put up with you is the drunk one?" Dean joked as he lay down on the bed

Castiel smiled, "You look tired Dean, why don't you get some sleep?"

Dean smiled back. "Nah, who needs sleep when you have a bottle of JD, a bag of Doritos and no little brother to lecture you about the cable porn," he joked. He knew by the look on the angels face that he wasn't buying a word of what he was selling; Cas knew that he was waiting up for Sammy.

Without invitation Cas sat down at the other end of Dean's bed.

Dean raised one eyebrow. "What? You in the mood for some porn Cas? Never took you for the type."

The angel frowned slightly at him, but didn't reply. For several minutes the silence dragged on until Dean couldn't stand it anymore.

"Ok, ok, no porn, but if you plan on keeping me company, then you can at least talk, none of this scary sitting and staring, you know that shit freaks me out."

Castiel opened his mouth to reply, but Dean cut in before he could get a word out

"Also, no lectures about the drinking or the swearing! I am so not in the mood for a lecture on how many ways I'm damning my soul back to hell."

Cas smiled slightly. "I wasn't going to lecture, I merely wanted to know what you wanted to talk about."

"I don't know," Dean frowned. "The nicks game? How Victoria Foxfoot was robbed of Playboy of the Year? Pick a topic."

After another long silence Dean sighed, this angel really needed to get a life, and a sense of humour.

"Alright, since normal topics of conversations don't _appeal_, why don't you tell me more about the soul music you were talking about earlier."

"Such as?" Castiel asked.

"What do our songs sound like? I mean, do we all walk around like little mini Ipod's, belting out the songs that fit our moods?"

Cas chuckled lightly and Dean enjoyed the sound, he wasn't sure why, maybe because it made a change from pissing people off.

"Not exactly," he replied. "Your song doesn't change according your mood, it's part of you, from the moment your born. Although in certain unique situations, your song can change when you are older, generally it always remains the same. Your song is a personification of your personality. A unique sound, representing your soul. Have you ever been in the company of a person, whose very presence soothes you, makes you feel safe?" Castiel asked.

Dean's mind quickly flashed up an image of his mother, her gentle blue eyes, lighting up as she smiled at him. Castiel smiled, as if he already knew the image that had sprung up in Dean's mind.

"That is their soul, speaking to yours in affection, calming your own soul with its light and tone and bringing you peace. People often talk of soul mates and it is true. In its plainest definition of the word; a soul mate are two people whose songs complement each other perfectly. Who, when together, make the perfect harmony."

"So, that's where the phrase 'lets make beautiful music together' comes from?" Dean asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Castiel smiled, but didn't answer.

Dean looked at him for a moment, wondering just how ridiculous he would sound if he asked the question running through his mind.

"Just ask, Dean," Cas said gently.

Dean glared at him for a second. "How do you do that? Do you poke around in my head when you feel like it or something?"

"That's not the question you wanted to ask," Castiel replied.

"Yeah, and that's not an answer either." Dean sighed. "Ok then, can you hear everyone's 'soul song'?" Dean asked.

"If we choose to listen to it, then yes," Cas replied. "But again, that isn't the question you wanted to ask. You wanted to know if I had listened to your song; you wanted to know what it sounded like."

Dean suddenly felt like the room was getting smaller, the air denser. He wanted to ask the question, but something told him, that if he did, he might not be prepared for the answer.

Before he could decide, he heard a door slam in the next room. Pulling himself up, Dean stood and cleared his throat; for a minute he hesitated, feeling like he was on the brink of a decision that he didn't completely understand.

"Don't worry Dean, when you're ready to know the answer, you'll ask."

Dean turned, ready with a quip to lighten the mood, but he found himself alone in the room again; Cas had gone.

Dean shook his head as if to clear it. "Damn Houdini Angel," he muttered, but as he squared his shoulders and headed in the next room to talk to Sam, he couldn't wipe the smile off of his face.

tbc


	3. Chapter 3

"Harder," she moaned into his ear, their bodies slick with sweat as they moved together.

Sam hitched Ruby's leg up higher, holding tightly so he wouldn't slip and lose his grip, and thrust hard enough that it caused her body to jar against the wall. Just as he felt his own release come, he heard her make a choking, high pitched sound, before her legs became boneless.

In one fluid movement, he moved them both onto the bed.

While his breathing slowly returned to normal, a quick glance down confirmed that she had already drifted into sleep, her head buried in the crick of his shoulder. He wasn't surprised that she was exhausted. He knew that she was wondering what was wrong with him, but over the last three hours they hadn't come up for breath long enough for her to ask what had put him in such a foul mood.

Sam briefly wondered how many times he would have to screw her before the anger flooding through his veins went away.

Sam's head start to spin as he sat up.

The dark hotel room now stank of stale sweat, and the unmistakable smell that usually hung in the air after two people had spent the afternoon lost in each others bodies.

He looked down at Ruby's still, sleeping form. It was amazing, how a demon with a soul that was as black as her eyes, could look so peaceful when she was asleep.

Her hair lay soft against her neck, and her long eyelashes left shadows, like bruises underneath her eyes. His hand made an almost involuntary movement as he looped one of her dark curls around his finger, the back of his hand lightly brushing against the soft neck on her skin. In moments like this, with his guard down he allowed himself to accept that there was something more than sex going on.

As if sensing his touch, she moved fitfully and muttered something low in her sleep.

He pulled his hand back as if burned, and stood up so quickly that it intensified the dizziness he he's had at first sitting up.

He walked over towards the sideboard, as if putting enough distance between them would wipe these thoughts from his head. He couldn't afford to allow himself to get emotional right now. Things were bad enough, without adding that to the mix.

He picked up his cellphone and saw that he had five messages. He dialed his voicemail and within a matter of seconds heard Dean's voice sounding irritated and confused.

"Sam? What the fuck was that all about, you're pissed off because of pie? Jesus! is it the time of the month or something, what the ......."

Sam hit the button to delete the message before listening to any more.

The next three all continued in the same tone, albeit getting a bit more belligerent the drunker his brother got. As he hit delete each time, he wondered how long it would take for Dean to pass out drunk, so that Sam could head back.

The fifth message was different, for a couple of seconds there was complete silence.

"Sam?" Dean's voice, this time sounding weary and way too tired.

Although tinny, it seemed to fill the room.

"Sammy! Come on, this is ridiculous, this is all over nothing. I don't know what's buggin' you, but I just want to know you're safe. So call me back, ok?"

Sam's eyes started to sting as he hung up without deleting.

He knew that Dean didn't get why he had been so pissed earlier on, but this whole thing was getting so out of hand, and Sam didn't know how to deal with it anymore.

They were standing on the losing side of an apocalyptic battle. Since he stopped using his powers like Dean had asked, he had started to get major headaches again, and now, now his brother was making googly eyes at an angel.

Sam huffed under his breath; he knew that wasn't strictly true as he couldn't imagine Dean making googly eyes at anyone. But the angel, he was definitely making eyes at Dean.

People always assumed that Sam was clueless when it came to these things. He was a book nerd; the perfect person to research whatever they needed looking into, but when it came to real life it was assumed that everything just sort of floated over Sam's head.

He had never been one to notice if a pretty girl was flirting with him. Hell, Ruby had all but to jump his ass the first time they got together and even then he had been a little unsure as to what was happening until she had taken her top off and put his hands on her chest. Sam pulled back his wandering thoughts and tried to push that image out of his mind before it took him back to the bed.

So he knew it was fair to say that he wasn't the first to pick up on these things.

But there was one exception to this rule, Dean. When it came to his brother, Sam was aware of everything, he always had been.

He saw the way girls looked at Dean, the ways guys sized him up when their girlfriends stared.

He saw the almost motherly looks that older waitresses would get when Dean tucked into their pie of the day with gusto. He saw the way Bobby would sometimes shoot him worried glances like Dean was about to vanish in a puff of smoke at any moment, and he isaw/i the way bthat/b angel looked at Dean.

In the beginning, Sam hadn't found the angel's fixation with Dean that big of a deal. It had started out barely noticeable at first. Every now and then, the angel would look at Dean as if he was some sort of strange puzzle, still to be figured out.

But over the course of the last few months, those looks had then graduated to something akin to hero worship, Now Castiel looked at Dean as if he was the answer to any problem Castiel might ever have. Sam had recognised those looks, they were similar to the way he had viewed his brother most of his life.

Those looks had bothered Sam. But it had gotten worse, more recently the looks had been getting strange. He would turn around at times to find Castiel gazing (there was no other word for it) at Dean with a tenderness that would almost take his breath away.

Those looks had coincided with several events that had changed everything.

There had been two seals that they had to take care of at the same time. It had been decided that the best course of action would be to split up. Dean, Castiel and Uriel had headed to Arizona, while Sam, Ruby and Bobby had headed to Texas.

When they had met up more than two weeks later, the dynamic in the group had shifted. Dean and Sam had remained the same as always, Uriel had went right on hating everyone except for Castiel. But Bobby had been slightly more polite towards Ruby, and Dean and Castiel had, well, gelled.

Sam had noticed his brother joking around with the angel more and more. They started sitting outside on the hood of the impala and talk, they would go on food runs together. Dean had started to feel as comfortable with Castiel as he was with Sam and Bobby, and then one night everything had changed completely.

biTwo months ago/b

Sam stared around the bar and wondered how he had let Dean talk him into this.

Dean had wanted to blow off some steam and relax after a pretty ferocious couple of days fighting for a seal in Mexico. Unfortunately for Sam, nothing said relaxation more to Dean, than getting drunk, then getting laid.

So far, it was not shaping up to be either a fun or relaxing night for Sam. Ruby had disappeared in a foul temper, after Dean had started baiting her about getting Sam laid. That and the fact that Dean had dragged the two angels along with them, all added up to a night worse than a root canal with a poltergeist dentist.

They had been sitting at the bar for an hour or so, before Sam finally started to relax. Uriel had left about ten minutes ago in a fit of disgust at Dean's behaviour, and Sam had high hopes that Castiel would be following suit, leaving him and Dean on their own. Dean was on his fifth tequila shot and was eyeing up a group of pretty, dark haired girls who had been giggling and staring over since they had come in.

Dean had been asking Castiel if angels had to take a vow of chastity as one of the girls in the group had been giving him the eye. At the angels silence, Dean had laughed and slung his arm over his shoulder. Sam had seen the angel stiffen instantly and could swear that Castiel was holding his breath as Dean had leaned in and murmured something near his ear.

Before Sam could think any more of it, Dean had removed his arm and shouted at the bartender for another round and headed over to the bar.

As Sam stared at the angel, he noticed that Castiel looked flushed. As if sensing Sam's gaze, Castiel met his eyes briefly before excusing himself, saying he would be back shortly before heading for the door.

Sam felt a sinking feeling in his stomach, as all the looks and gestures over the last few weeks started to make sense. It was impossible, he told himself. The angel couldn't be in love with his brother, he was a frigging angel for christ's sake.

But as Dean came back to the table asking where Cas' had went, Sam couldn't stop himself from staring at his brother, as he turned it round in his head.

Despite his own low opinion of himself, if anyone could make an angel fall, it would be Dean.

It wasn't just about his looks. Dean had the strongest, surest spirit of anyone Sam had ever known. Petty faults aside, his brother had a heart the size of Kansas, and would do anything for the people he loved. Who wouldn't fall for Dean?

Sam made up his mind that he would keep an eye on both Dean and the angel and see where this went. He looked up and spotted Castiel on his way back to the table. Before he could reach the Dean and Sam, one of the group of girls, slightly emboldened by tequila waylaid him, and started chatting. Judging by her body language, she had very little intention of letting him go.

Sam nudged Dean and nodded his head, in the direction of Castiel and the girl, as Sam turned to his brother to make a joke, he stopped short at the look on Dean's face.

Dean was staring over at Castiel and the girl, the expression on his face upset, borderline angry.

At that moment, Castiel looked up and met Dean's eyes. Dean shook his head as if a fly were buzzing near it and turned to Sam.

"Hey, looks like at least one of us is getting laid," Dean joked, but his tone was forced.

They both turned as Castiel come up beside them.

"Hey," Dean asked "What happened to the little querida?"

Sam noticed that as soon as Castiel sat down, Dean seemed instantly more relaxed, his tone lighter.

Castiel just smiled and asked Dean if he was ready to go. He inclined his head to include Sam in the question. Sam was surprised when Dean readily complied.

As they headed toward the exit, Sam tried to ignore the feeling in his stomach, like one hundred snakes, slithering around.

Whatever this was, he didn't like it; not one little bit./i

Since that night, Sam had started to notice other small tell tale signs. Now when Castiel shot one of those looks towards Dean, Sam had found his brother staring right back. He didn't think his brother was aware of it, yet. But more and more often recently, Sam had found Dean looking at the angel, with a quizzical, almost tender look on his face.

It was even worse when the damn angel disappeared on one of his 'missions from God'.

Dean would start to get edgy, short tempered, and his drinking got ten times worse. Sam had commented on it a few times but Dean had shrugged it off.

He knew his brother didn't see it, but Sam also knew that he wasn't the only one who had noticed.

Ruby had mentioned it; Uriel constantly made dire predictions regarding it, and even Bobby had looked at Dean and Castiel, once or twice, with a sad, almost knowing look on his face.

Everyone else saw it fairly clearly. But Dean and Castiel carried on, oblivious to what everyone else had noticed.

This alone wasn't what had built up Sam's resentment for the angel. It was the way Castiel seemed to monopolise Dean's attention. Every damn time Sam turned around, Castiel seemed to be deliberately keeping Dean, at his side, and away from Sam.

Dean looked to Castiel more and more now for advice. It now seemed like Dean barely made a move without consulting the angel first, and Sam hated that.

He knew it was childish and selfish but it didn't change his resentment at the situation. It had always beeni Dean and Sam./i He didn't know if he knew how to be Sam without Dean.

Now he and Dean seemed to be drifting further and further away. Each time they argued, Dean turned to the damn angel; Sam responded by burying himself in Ruby's body and hoping it would go away.

Sam knew deep down that it wasn't going anywhere. The only way to deal with this situation would be head on. He had to speak to Dean, to make him see that they couldn't put all their faith in the angels like this. They had betrayed Anna; they could betray them, just as easily.

Sam headed out of the motel room, barely looking at the bed as he passed. He couldn't afford to entangle himself further with Ruby right now. If he were to convince Dean that they should cut ties with the angels, he knew that he would have to do the same with Ruby. It wasn't as if it meant anything really, she was a demon. It's not as if her feelings would be hurt.

Sam smiled as resolve filled him. He had to make Dean see that it was just the two of them against the world.

He headed out into the night, back to Dean. Sam would fix this, whatever had broken between them; he would do whatever it took to make it right.

"I still say it's too early to panic like this." Lex stated loudly, to no one in particular

The noise in the room didn't abate at all, at his words. Lex sighed, he might as well have been speaking to an empty room. He surveyed the scene of chaos in Martha Kent's normally serene kitchen, while he tried to figure out who to start with first.

Jonathan was flinging questions at Clark at a hundred miles an hour, while Clark alternated between trying to calm him down and hurling back answers. The situation wasn't made any easier with Chloe and Pete piping in every couple of minutes.

Martha sat at the table, seemingly unhearing, lost in her own thought, her face set and pensive.

The only figure in the room who seemed remotely relaxed was Mercy. She was leaning against the worktop, filing her nails and watching the whole scene with an air of detached interest.

The whole thing could almost be amusing; almost. Only the worried look on Martha Kent's face and the distress in Clark's eyes, as he tried to calm down his father, stopped Lex from being able to take any enjoyment out of the three ring circus style proceedings.

He rubbed his eyes wearily and tried to place the smell tickling his nostrils. It was a mixture of lilacs and apple pie.

Lex remembered Clark mentioning once, that the smell of lilacs and home made pie always made him feel safe.

They were triggers to memories of home; of parents who worshipped him, of kisses to soothe bad dreams, and of hurt feelings. Those smells took Clark back to a time where his father was seven feet tall, and his mother was the most beautiful woman on the planet. Lex had kissed the tip of his nose and smiled at him; he had understood the feelings, although he had no similar memories to compare them to.

This room was the reason Clark felt that way. With the exception of his barn, this room, more than any other, was Clark's safe haven.

It was his retreat from a world where everything had to be hidden, where secrets had to be kept.

Lex caught Clark's eye and saw the panic flare as his father got more and more worked up.

Lex felt the weight of responsibility lay heavy on him. This was Clark's sanctuary and he had taken it away before. The first time had been the night they stood in this kitchen and told Jonathan and Martha that they were in love and were moving in together.

Come to think of it, this was actually fairly mild compared to that night.

The words that had been spoken that night had taken a long time to heal. Lex knew that Jonathan was still far from thrilled at his presence in Clark's life. But for the sake of the man they both loved, they had found a common ground of mutual tolerance.

Clark had started visiting the farm almost daily again. This kitchen, his home had once again seemed like home again. Until tonight.

Until Chloe had decided that the Kent's had a right to know that there were people in town investigating their son. Until Clark and Lex had arrived for dinner, only to be greeted with worried recriminations from Martha, defiant objections from Chloe and a thousand questions from Jonathan and Pete.

Of course, the moment that Jonathan and Pete both had attacked Lex, Clark had jumped into the fray.

After that, bedlam ensued. So much so, that Mercy had actually left her post to come and investigate, worried that there might have been some sort of threat to Lex's safety.

Judging by the looks that had been thrown at him over the last hour, she may not have been far off the mark, which probably explained why she had stayed.

Lex felt a movement at his left shoulder. Looking down, he saw the redhead settle next to him, leaning casually against the worktop.

"You think it's time to tell them our news, boss?" she questioned.

"What? You think you can get their attention long enough?" he replied.

"Well, I think someone better," she answered. "If that old man's face gets any redder, he might keel over."

Lex looked over at Jonathan; he was getting a lot more agitated than a man who was recovering from a minor bypass could afford.

Martha now stood at Jonathans side, her hand stroking his arm, trying to get him to calm down. Clark's stance had also changed. The spark of anger and defiance gone, as he tried to placate his father long enough to sit down.

Jonathan's heart condition was a constant worry to both Clark and Martha; despite Jonathan's constant blusters to the contrary, getting upset was not good for him. Lex knew from personal experience the lengths that Clark would go, in order to protect his father from bad news.

"Time to break up the party," Lex agreed.

Before he could say another word, Mercy placed two fingers in her mouth and emitted a loud shrill whistle.

This startled everyone and the noise died down abruptly. All eyes were trained on the five foot redhead. Unless he was mistaken, judging by the looks from most in the room, they hadn't even been aware of Mercy's presence until now.

"Ok, everybody. How about we all shut the fuck up. It's about time someone who actually has a clue about this situation fills you in on what's going down," Mercy announced to the room.

"Boss?" she turned to Lex and gestured for him to take the floor.

Lex saw Pete's mouth start to open, and decided to jump in before he could start again.

"First off, Mercy," Lex spoke quietly and confidently. His main aim was to calm everyone in the room as much as possible. "Try and restrain the language. Sorry about that Mrs Kent."

Lex saw Martha smile as her body relaxed slightly.

"What Mercy is trying to say," Lex continued, "And what Clark has been trying to tell you, since we arrived…" Lex forestalled the words trying to escape Ross's mouth with a look, "Is that we do already have information on these strangers. My people have already formed a plan of attack to both gain information on what these people want, and to ensure Clarks safety and privacy."

"Your people!" Jonathan Kent sneered. "What plan could your people have that helps this situation? Their objective is to keep you safe in your ivory tower; they don't give a damn about what these people want with Clark."

"My people, Jonathan, have one job and one job only, and that is to safe guard both me and mine. As we both know, Clark falls into that category. As such, his safety is of paramount importance to them."

Jonathan opened his mouth to refute Lex's possessive statement. Lex stiffened in anticipation for the chaos to recommence. Before it could, Clark put his hand on his fathers arm and stalled him.

"Dad, please," he pleaded gently. "Let Lex speak."

Patting his sons hand gently, Jonathan exchanged a look with his wife and turned to Lex.

"Please continue, Lex." Martha broke the silence. "I'm sure my husband didn't mean to cast any accusations about you not having Clark's best interest at heart. Right Jonathan?" Martha Kent turned to her husband, with the sort of look that only a woman completely confident in her place in life could deliver.

Jonathan looked at his wife, the rise of colour spreading up his neck. He grunted some sort of grudging assent, which brought a squeal of horror from Ross in the corner.

"That's enough Pete," Jonathan stated firmly. "Martha is..... right. Lex wouldn't do anything that would put Clark in any danger." Relaxing the set of his shoulders, Jonathan turned to Lex. "So what's your plan Luthor?" he asked.

Lex briefly explained the details of the moves that had been made earlier that day to try and pre-empt the threat that these strangers had brought into their lives, with their investigations and questions.

"Basically," Lex began "we know they want to get closer to either myself or Clark. We are assuming this is to further whatever investigation they appear to be planning. So, this morning, Mercy put out the feelers that we are in need of more security staff. A couple of personal bodyguards for Clark," Lex smiled at the snort of disgust from Clark; that had proven to be an interesting conversation earlier. "One extra on my detail, and someone to work with Mercy on the more strategic side.

"These people," Lex continued "have friends in the right places. Not long after the feelers were put out, there were suggestions put forward to hire these guys."

"So what?" Jonathan interjected angrily, his temper rising again. "We are going to bring these people further into our lives? Give them open access to Clark, his life, his family? In what world do you consider that a sensible solution Luthor?"

Before Lex had a chance to reply, Mercy had taken the floor again.

"No offense Mr Kent, but you know diddly squat about personal security. I do. This is is my job, and, I'm damn good at it, and the plan if I do say so myself is genius. I don't tell you how to grow beets, or whatever it is you grow here. So how about you afford me the same respect and allow me to do imy/i job."

Jonathan stared at the girl with surprise and shock on his face. Lex could see the cogs turning in his brain as he tried to figure her out. Martha, as always, was a bit more upfront.

"So how does your plan help us then?" Martha asked Mercy. "What does bringing these people further into our lives accomplish?"

"Well to start with," Mercy replied. "The closer we keep them to us, the easier it should be to figure out what their motives are. It will be much easier to compile information on these people if they believe they have already fooled us and their guard is down."

Mercy looked as Lex briefly, as if asking for permission to continue. At his slight nod she went on.

"Secondly, it also allows us to constantly monitor them and keep them in a position that, if they make a move on Clark then my men are in the best position to take them out."

Lex cursed under his breath. Mercy may have been adept at gaining and holding a persons attention, but subtlety was not her strong point. He had watched the colour drain from Jonathan and Martha's faces when she mentioned 'making a move on Clark', and Clark's face had gone along similar lines when she started talking about 'taking people out'.

"Just remember" Lex interjected "that my security staff view any measures that may cause harm to these people as a definite last resort, only to be used if they feel that Clark's life may actually be at risk."

Lex forestalled the comment that he knew Clark was about to make. "We'll discuss the ins and outs of it all later, Clark. At the moment, let's just listen to Mercy and let her people do their jobs."

Hurting people, regardless of the cause never sat well with Clark, but he had to understand that if these people did turn out to be any type of threat, then Lex would do anything that he had to, in order to keep Clark safe.

"So basically," Chloe interrupted, "We're going to play the old card, keep our friends close and our enemies closer?"

"Exactly," Lex replied. "The closer we are to these people, the easier it is to find out who they are, what they want, and why they want it. The best thing we can do tonight, is to try as hard as we can to put all this to the back of our minds until we have more information."

Lex turned to address Jonathan and Martha. "You have my word that you will both have a daily report from Clark and myself on anything, and everything we find out about these people."

"Yes, Chloe" Lex interjected as the blonde girl started to interrupt. "You and Pete, too."

Lex surveyed the room and smiled slightly as the tension in his shoulders start to ease. Jonathan and Martha still looked worried, which was only to be expected.

Pete as always looked as if he was wishing Lex a horrible slow death. But the colour had come back in Jonathan's face and Chloe looked excited at the prospect of juicy investigation details. Also, as an added bonus, no one had taken an axe to Lex's head.

Lex turned to Clark. "So how about we head home and we all try and get a good nights sleep? Tomorrow, these people will report to the mansion for duty and we'll see where it takes us."

Clark smiled as he kissed his mother on the cheek, and gave his father a quick hug. After exchanging quick goodbye's with Chloe and Pete, he walked over to Lex and slid his hand into his.

"Let's go home," Clark half whispered. Lex was glad that Clark didn't see the almost involuntary grimace on Jonathan Kent's face at the sight of his son, talking about home with a Luthor.

The anger began to rise in Lex again. He had just managed to get past this with Jonathan; he had just started to feel almost accepted, which, for Clark's sake mattered to him. Now this popped up and reminded everyone in Clark's life that bad things happened to Clark when he was involved with a Luthor.

Thus far, Lex had managed to maintain a convincing calm façade, but but inwardly the rage was building up at this unexpected and unwarranted intrusion into his world.

Over the last few months everything had finally slotted into place; he had Clark, Lex Corp was thriving, and Project Alexi was going exactly to plan. He had too much to lose now.

These people were not going to interfere with Lex's plans. He would make sure of it.

Dean sat on the bed and turned the events of the last hour over in his head.

Bobby had gotten in touch with some old sources and managed to arrange it so that, as of tomorrow, they would be walking straight into the Luthor mansion. They had been hired as security detail.

Sam would be personal bodyguard to Luthor, he and Cas were going to be with the Kent dude, and Uriel was working with someone named, of all things, Mercy.

Damn, parents could be cruel, who named their kid 'Mercy' it had playground beatings written all over it. Although, with the poor chick stuck with Uriel, she would be crying mercy in a few days.

God knows how Bobby had wrangled this. But Dean had long since stopped trying to figure out how Bobby managed to the things he did. He was just Bobby.

He wished Sam's reaction had been better though. When he had come home and asked Dean if they could talk, hope had risen in Dean's chest, and he thought that maybe they would finally be able to get everything sorted out.

Even when Bobby had called them together to deliver the news, he had felt hopeful, until the assignments had been handed out. Sam had bitched about Dean being paired with Castiel, and had said to Bobby that it would make more sense if he and Dean worked together. For once, Dean had agreed with him, but Bobby had confirmed that Luthor himself had made the assignment. Luthor had chosen Sam, so that was the way they were playing it. This was too good an opportunity to get close, they couldn't pass it up.

Dean had turned to Sam, to make a conciliatory gesture. To tell him that it didn't matter. They would find someplace to talk.

But when he turned around, he saw Ruby at Sam's shoulder, her hand on his arms, whispering in his ear, and Sam. Once again, Sam was looking everywhere but Dean.

Dean sighed, as the brief hope of reconciliation died in his chest. They were right back where they started. Sam, on the opposite side of the room. Avoiding Dean's gaze and listening only to the fucking demon whispering in his ear.

Dean wondered how the hell it had come to this, and what he was supposed to do or say to fix things.

Just as Dean opened his mouth to try, Sam walked out of the motel room with Ruby, without so much as a backward glance.

His mouth dry and tasting like ash, Dean headed to the next room.

Blocking out Bobby's apologetic look, and Castiel's concerned stare, he slammed the door behind him and fell on the bed. He could feel the angel's presence almost an instant later, but he refused to turned around.

"I'm tired Cas, just leave me the fuck alone."

Moments later, Dean turned around to find himself alone in the room again.

He uncorked the whiskey and downed a couple of gulps.

He drank fast, praying for a quick oblivion, trying to block out Sam's resentful face.

As he finally drifted off to sleep, he could feel the red seeping into his memories; the touches of hell pushing into his mind, determined to make him feel the fire again, to taste the blood of all those he had wronged.

Before they could take a firm hold though, Dean felt them dissipate, fragmenting, and blankness overwhelmed him. His last thought before falling into a dreamless sleep was 'thank the lord for whiskey'.

Castiel removed his hand from the hunter's forehead once he felt him stop stirring. Within minutes the hunter was in a deep sleep.

Castiel looked down at the sleeping hunter, and wished that he could fix all of Dean's problems as easily as he could still the monsters in his dreams.

With a sigh, the angel vanished, happy that he could help the hunter with this at least.

End of Chapter 3

In the next chapter, we learn more about Lex's end game. The demons show themselves, Uriel and Mercy meet for the first time, and Dean is introduced to Mama Kent and her home made pie.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Choices

Author: mrstotten

Summary: A Supernatural/Smallville crossover. The last seal is about to be breached. Dean, Sam and the gang head to Smallville where one man will be faced with a choice between love and power, that could change the world forever.

Rating: G - R at present

Genre: Slash, crossover

Characters: Dean/Castiel, Clark/Lex, Sam/Ruby, Uriel, Bobby, Chloe. Clark/Lex established couple, Castiel/Dean, pre slash at present

Spoilers: All supernatural season 4 episodes through to ep 14. Smallville is fairly safe as it is AU

Disclaimer: none of this belongs to me, i'm only taking the characters for a walk for my own amusement

Author's note: This is a crossover story and does include male/male relationships, if this isn't your cup of tea, step away now. Beta'd by the wonderful autumn_lilacs The beta every gal should have *schnoogles*

In this chapter, plans are underway, Mercy and Uriel meet, Dean meets the woman of his dreams (pity he's now hot for a guy angel) and someone trusted shows their true hand.

The study was in almost total darkness.

A tiny pinprick of light, coming from the table lamp, was the only illumination in the room.

Lex felt his eyes start to sting as he stared at the photographs in front of him again.

Lex was an analytical thinker; practiced in taking the pieces of even the most complex puzzle, and fitting them together. This time however, he was finding it hard to control his emotions long enough to form any logical thoughts.

These people were a risk to everything that he had planned. For himself, for Clark, and for Smallville. He had spent a long time nudging all the elements of his once fledgling idea together, and now, it was on the brink of completion.

He had the man that he loved at his side, and soon, the name Luthor would be synonymous with greatness.

All that stood in his way were these people, and their agenda.

He hadn't been entirely truthful with Clark about not knowing the motives behind their sudden appearance in Smallville, but then again, he had learned early on that as much as he loved him, he i couldn't/i always be entirely truthful with Clark.

Clark saw everything in black and white. With Clark, doing the right thing was paramount to everything, and he had never had any problem deciding what the iright/i thing was.

Lex however, never had the luxury of black and white. He had been raised in a world permanently stained with grey.

As a result, he knew that sometimes hard decisions had to be made, to protect Clark, Lex Corp, and sometimes to further Lex's plans. These decisions rarely came wrapped in a neat little parcels, and Lex had resigned himself to being the one to make the hard choices. Leaving Clark out of these decisions was not to deceive him, but to shield him from the realities that life can sometimes bring; the pain that can come, when one has to make a choice with no possible happy outcome.

Sometimes he felt bad about it. When he looked at Clark and saw the trust and faith that shone in those eyes, Lex would feel the guilt crawling in his gut, but it would usually be pushed to the side with the knowledge that what he was doing was ifor/i Clark.

Everything he iever/i did was for Clark.

Lex heard the footfalls on the stairs and slid the photographs back into the file. He looked up and smiled as he saw Clark framed in the doorway.

He was wearing a simple pair of sweats, riding low on his hips. His hair was tousled with sleep and ended up more so, as he ruffled his fingers through it while stifling a yawn with this his other hand.

He gave Lex a sleepy smile, and Lex wondered, not for the first time, how he had ever gotten as lucky as he had.

"What are you doing sitting in the dark?" Clark asked, his voice slightly husky with sleep.

"I'm not in the dark," Lex replied, inclining his head towards the small table light.

Clark laughed, the sound half amused, half exasperated. He sat down in the chair opposite Lex, his movements so relaxed that he looked as if he was about to drift off to sleep again any minute

"Fine," Clark said. "What are you doing sitting up, in ialmost/i total darkness at…" Clark glanced at the small carriage clock on the table, "Sheesh, 4am. Come to bed Lex. Whatever you are working on, can wait until the morning."

Clark stood up and waited expectantly for Lex to rise.

Lex sighed as he did so. Clark, when he wanted to be was as stubborn as a mule, besides he was getting pretty tired.

"What were you working on anyway?" Clark asked as they headed up stairs.

As always, when he was being slightly economical with the truth, Lex chose to stick to as close to the facts as he could. "I was reviewing the file on our new employees actually," he answered. "Getting ready for tomorrow."

"Ah, right," Clark replied "Our new bodyguards. At one time does my new bald boyfriend arrive tomorrow?" He joked as they headed into the bedroom.

Clark slid into bed, watching Lex get undressed as he leaned back against the pillow, his arm slung behind his head.

"Well," Lex replied. "After our earlier discussion, I decided to maybe change things around a bit. After all, how did you put it? Oh yes, you 'like them bald'. So I decided to keep you from temptation and reassign yours," Lex smiled as Clark snorted.

"Come on, Lex," Clark interjected, "You must have known I was joking."

Lex smiled as he climbed into bed. As he moved closer to Clark, he sensed the set tense of Clark's body and realised that Clark was actually worried that Lex had taken him seriously.

"Of course I know you were joking Clark," Lex answered. Clarks body relaxed against him.

"I've actually reassigned him to Mercy, because according to his records, he is a 'security specialist' so I figured that he would fit in well with Mercy's crack squad," Lex explained.

Clark settled himself into the crook of Lex's shoulder.

"So who have you reassigned to me, now that you have given away my hot bald dude," Clark joked. "And what exactly are their names anyway, since I don't know how far we'll get if we refer to them as the 'bald dude and his hot friends'."

Lex smiled down at Clark.

"You're really spending way too much time with Chloe, Clark." Lex said.

When he looked at Clark's face, Lex realised that they weren't going to get any sleep until he shared a little more information.

"Ok, the two assigned to you are Dean Young and Castiel Evans," Lex answered. "Both are ex military. Young's expertise is in weapons and defense. Evans is apparently, a 'weapons and tactics expert'. Although it is impossible to know how much of that is true.

Clark nodded, the concerned look on his face, making the anger rise again in Lex.

"What about the other two?" Clark asked.

"Well," Lex continued. "The guy I've assigned to Mercy is Uriel Rudd, a security specialist. According to his resume, he handles the more 'difficult assignments' and is fully trained in weapons and tactics."

"The one I have shadowing me is Samuel Young, he is more of a researcher, although he has apparently had full weapons training and some 'special' skills whatever that means. He also happens to be abnormally tall, and pretty darn cute in the wholesome kind of way. Just my type," Lex teased.

He laughed, as Clark bit him slightly in the crook of his neck.

"What?" Lex laughed, "You said you liked them bald, and I think it is no secret, that I have a thing for tall, dark haired guys with…" Lex's voice trailed off as Clark bit his earlobe.

"Enough." Clark growled into Lex's ear.

Lex felt his head start to spin whenClark's mouth travelled down his neck. He buried his hands in Clark's hair and guided his head back up. As he felt Clarks mouth open up over his own, Lex gave up on any pretence of teasing as he deepened the kiss.

He knew he should have come to bed earlier.

"This is never going to work," Sam stated.

Dean sighed as the voice of doom started again. Man, he loved his little brother, but when he was in full blown emo mode, he was a pain in the ass.

"We've gone over this a million times, Sam," Dean replied. "This is Bobby's plan, have you ever known one of Bobby's plans inot/i to work?"

Dean glanced over at his brother; Sam's shoulders were set and tense, the look on his face downright miserable.

Dean took a deep breath. "Look, I know you aren't one hundred percent thrilled with this case, or with this assignment. But we have hit a brick wall here. None of the information we have on Kent or Luthor is leading us anywhere. We don't know where the fuck the next seal is, what they're planning to do with it, and how the fuck we are supposed to stop them."

Dean walked over to Sam and grasped his brother's shoulders.

Dean caught Sam's gaze and held it; refusing to let Sam look away for once. The misery in Sam's eyes almost broke Dean's heart. Dean pushed the feeling down and tried to convince Sam again.

"This is it Sammy." Dean stated. "The last seal. iOur/i last chance to save the world from going to hell, literally. So whether we like it or not, we gotta go with what we've got here, and what we've got, is an open ticket into enemy camp. From now on these guys won't eat, move or shit, without one of us by their side, which will make finding out what they are up to a damn sight easier."

Dean watched the resolution settle on Sam's face. Dean relaxed and let out the breath he hadn't even known he was holding.

"You're right," Sam replied "I know you're right. It's just, I would have preferred to be working with iyou/i on this one. I'm not too keen on working alone with Luthor, something about him doesn't sit right with me"

"What?" Dean laughed, "You don't want to be alone with Luthor? Well that figures, you are kinda his type."

Sam scowled. "What are you talking about Dean, his type for what?"

"Well, you know" Dean replied "You do bear more than a passing resemblance to Kent. Dark hair, dorky smile, freakishly tall. Are you scared Luthor's going to try something? Worried about a little sexual harassment in the work place?"

Dean sat down on the bed, still smirking as he started to clean his gun.

Sam stood next to the bed, his mouth opening and closing like a guppy fish.

"Dude," Sam finally answered, "That's… ridiculous." Sam sank back onto his chair an annoyed grimace on his face.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." Dean joked. "Just remember, Sammy, if he goes for the naughty spots: Just. Say. bNo./i"

"You're a dick." Sam stated.

"Ok, princess."

"Asshole."

"Bitch."

"Dick."

"You used that one already."

Dean grinned as Sam shook his head and smiled at him.

As Sam headed out the room, Dean started to whistle happily as he finished cleaning his gun.

"This is where Lex Luthor lives?" Dean asked as they got out of the car.

In front of them was a small farmhouse. Surrounded by acres of land, it was painted a soft yellow. The only sign of money here, was the limousine parked in the drive. It looked strange and out of place in such a simple setting.

Uriel snorted as he got out of the back seat.

"No," Castiel answered as he came to stand next to Dean. "This is the Kent family home. This is where we are to meet Clark Kent, and where Uriel will be meeting with Ms. Greaves."

Uriel snorted again in derision. "I once again, must insist on raising my objections to this infantile and ineffective plan." Uriel stated.

Dean framed a retort in his head, but before the words could even leave his mouth, Castiel had already replied.

"I understand brother," Castiel answered gently. "I know you are unhappy with both the plan and the arrangements. But this is the best chance we have. Lilith is closing in on the last seal and we cannot afford to let any opportunity to obtain the knowledge to stop her, slip from our grasp"

Dean felt an odd sense of déjà vu go through him at Cas's words. But the uncomfortable feeling was knocked out of his head by Uriel's next words.

"You're right," Uriel conceded. "The plan is just or Father would have told us otherwise. It's just the idea of iworking/i for one of these…."

"Enough." Castiel's voice was firm this time; the undertone clear that he wasn't arguing it further.

"This plan rests on us fitting into our assigned positions here Uriel," Castiel continued, "That requires, patience, perseverance and taking orders from the human you have been assigned to. Those that are hired to work do not have the luxury of belittling their employers, calling them names, or refusing orders. You must work for Ms Greaves as if you are receiving the orders from our Father Himself. That is the only way this will work. Do you understand?" Castiel asked.

The two angels stared at each other intently before Uriel gave a single curt nod in assent.

Before anything else could be said, a small red haired woman exited the farm and started walking towards them.

Dean barely had time to cast an appreciative glance over her before she reached them.

"Where the fuck have you been?" she demanded belligerently.

Before any of them could answer, she went on.

"Never mind. You two." she pointed at Dean and Castiel. "They're waiting for you in there." she said, pointing towards the farmhouse.

"You," she ordered, gesturing at Uriel. "Get in the car." Without waiting for a reply from any of them, she headed towards the limo, opening the drivers door.

Uriel stood still as if shell shocked.

Dean could almost sympathise. iAlmost/i

The red head turned back round and glared at him.

"Great," she stated. "Lex assigned me the brawn with no brains." She looked at Uriel directly, Castiel and Dean already dismissed from her mind.

"Are you stupid, deaf or just incapable of following orders?" she asked Uriel aggressively.

Again, without waiting for a reply, she answered herself.

"Whatever, I don't really give a fuck which one it is. Get. In. The. Car." she climbed into the driver's seat, fully expecting Uriel to comply instantly.

Dean looked back and forth from the tiny red head to the furious angel. He could feel the anger radiating from Uriel in waves so intense, that he was surprised the girl hadn't already burned up on the spot. Dean had been known to push a few… well more than a few, of Uriel's buttons. But he had inever /i seen him this pissed.

Just when he expected the smiting to start, Castiel touched Uriel arm gently.

"Remember what I said brother." Castiel soothed. "It's our Fathers orders you are following here. No one else."

Dean watched as Uriel deflated. He sighed and headed towards the car, just as Mercy started blasting the horn.

Uriel climbed into the passenger seat, and the car screeched away from the farm.

Dean looked at Castiel and raised his eyebrows.

Castiel smiled slightly "She'll be fine," Castiel said.

"Yeah," Dean replied. "I'm sure ishe /iwill, but will he?"

Castiel smile widened "Do you care?" he asked Dean curiously.

"Hell no," Dean snorted. "About damn time someone took the pompous son of a bitch down a notch or two."

Castiel shook his head, still smiling. "He means well, Dean," Castiel insisted.

"Yeah?" Dean answered dubiously. "Well you know what they say the road of good intentions." he retorted.

Castiel chuckled slightly. "One day, both of you are going to realise how badly you have underestimated each other," he responded. "I hope I'm around to see it."

"Yeah, yeah." Dean replied, smiling as they fell into step with each other.

They both headed over to the farmhouse. Castiel rapped on the door, and they heard a female voice beckon them to come inside.

As they entered, Dean wished for a moment that he could be a fly on the wall of that limo. Whatever was going on there, had to be a whole lot more fun than a damn farm. Before Dean's thoughts went any further, something pulled him up short.

The most heavenly smell drifted past his nostrils, and he looked around the bright kitchen.

Sunlight was streaming through the windows, framing the table in the centre of the room. It was covered with a red and white checkered linen cloth. A large vase of flowers sat next to a towering batch of cookies and muffins.

Everything about the table seemed warm, rustic and cozy. It was the type of table he pictured a family sitting down at together, to eat dinner each evening. Dean's usual experience of a sit down dinner was a greasy diner, or something wrapped in plastic, wolfed down in the drivers seat, on the road to the next hunt.

Dean's attention was drawn away from the table to the woman standing next to it.

The sunlight had bathed in a warm golden glow, and hot damn, she was gorgeous. In her mid forties, with the type of soft, warm beauty that only grows with age. She would turn heads in the street, faster than most girls half her age.

His gaze moved from her face, to her oven glove covered hands, as she placed on the table, right next to the muffins and cookies, the biggest pie that Dean had ever seen.

"Would you boys like some pie?" the pie goddess asked.

Dean stood speechless for several seconds, before glancing at Castiel in awe.

"Dude," he whispered ""Am I dead? Uh...again?"

Before Castiel could answer Dean, decided he didn't care, he wasn't knocking back free pie.

"Yes, bMa'am/b" Dean replied, pulling up a chair.

He liked this job already.

"Are you sure everything is in place?" The young girl asked of the man in front of her.

"Positive," he replied. "Luthor has been made aware of the threat and has put steps in place to keep the Winchester and their angels busy."

"What if this allows them to get too close?" she questioned.

"It won't," he answered confidently. "Luthor is too smart, and way too distrusting of others to allow them near anything. Hell, Kent himself has no idea what Luthor is planning and the plans revolve around Kent. Trust me, this will keep the hunters out of our way, and if anything, this will move his time table up to get this job done faster."

"And you are sure no one suspects you?" the girl queried. "They haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary?"

The man laughed, the sound distorting his normal warm voice.

"Relax, Clark Kent would cut out his own heart, before he would believe one of his iown/i would betray him. Besides, they all think this has something to do with his freakish powers; they wouldn't know a demon if it bit them in the ass. Besides, this vessel is trusted, implicity. His memories and emotions have also given me a good idea of how to act around them. They don't suspect a thing."

"Good," the girl replied. "Report back to me on Saturday, let me know what the Winchesters are up to."

She left and the man opened the car door, intending to get inside. He groaned inwardly, when he recognised the blonde haired girl, briskly walking towards him

"Hey!" Chloe called cheerfully, a bright and chipper look on her face.

Everything about the girl was too much. She was too passionate, too intense, too sincere. The girl gave him a headache every time she was near. She contained the type of fire that made his hands itch with the desire to snuff it out. Humans were so fragile, one swift turn of her neck, and those bright eyes would go lifeless; the never ceasing, prattling mouth would fall silent.

He felt his hands twitch and pulled himself back from his thoughts. There would be enough time for that, after the seal had opened. Plenty of time then to watch her scream.

"So, how is our super secret spy mission going?" Chloe asked with a smile. "Have you heard anything yet?"

"No, not yet," he replied shortly. "I'm heading to the farm right now. I'm sure as soon as there is anything to know, we'll find out."

Chloe's face dropped slightly at his abrupt tone of voice.

He struggled to regain his composure as he tried to get back into character.

"Look Chloe, I'm sorry," he said. He patted the girls arm in an affectionate gesture, ignoring the way it made his skin crawl.

He smiled when the gesture had the desired effect and the blonde brightened. "I'm sure Clark is going to be fine. He has so many people looking out for him, it would be impossible for him inot/i to be fine."

Chloe's smile brightened further.

"You're right," she nodded. "If Clark is still out at the farm, can you tell him I'll be by later for an update?"

"Sure thing," he replied, climbing into the driver's seat. "You sure you don't want to come up just now and I'll give you a lift?" he asked.

"No thanks." she answered cheerily, "I have a million and one things to do. I'll stop by later"

"Ok then." he smiled. "You take care of yourself."

He climbed into the truck, eager to get away from the vile girl. That was the problem with being surrounded with human filth. They contaminated the air, making it cloying. Their putrid sense of goodness filling his mouth like ashes, until all he wanted to do was rip them to pieces.

"I will. Bye, Mr. Kent!" Chloe called out.

"Bye, Chloe" he waved and watched the girl walk away. He climbed into the van, glad to finally be away from the girls cloying presence. As he drove away, the feral grin on his face twisted the normally kind features of his vessels face, into something grotesque.

He started to whistle as he headed back to the Kent farm.


End file.
